Selling a Cadillac DTS that won't run

If your DTS has electrical gremlins, a tired Northstar or a no-start, you can sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

One generation, one engine

Wikipedia says the DTS was built from 2005 to May 2011 at Detroit/Hamtramck Assembly in Michigan. It replaced the DeVille and was followed by the XTS. Every one has front-wheel drive, the 4.6-liter Northstar LD8 V8 and a 4-speed 4T80 automatic, on the same G platform as the Buick Lucerne. The EPA lists it for 2006 to 2011; NHTSA's file also holds 9 complaints filed under 2005.

Electrical complaints lead each DTS year from 2007 through 2011. On the 2006, exterior lighting edges it out, 64 to 62, and the engine follows with 33.

DTS complaints and recalls by model year

Each figure tallies owner complaints NHTSA had received by October 10, 2026. The last DTS years have had fewer years of service for complaints to pile up, and production stopped in May 2011. Recall cells count the campaigns naming each year, and four of the six DTS campaigns name more than one.

All six DTS recalls

Vehicle counts are for each whole campaign. Only one of the six, 09V480, names the DTS alone.

• 06V105 (2006): power steering hose connectors on V8 cars may not have been crimped well and can leak. Dealers replace the inlet hose. 12,862 vehicles, Buicks included.
• 08V441 (2006-2008): a DTS gets a fresh harness with a built-in in-line fuse. The recall covers 857,735 vehicles from Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Hummer and Saturn.
• 10V240 (2006-2009): dealers pull the DTS heated washer fluid module and leave it out. 1,365,070 vehicles, the DTS among many GM models.
• 09V480 (2010): the tire and loading label was wrong; GM mailed correct labels. 126 vehicles.
• 10V553 (2010-2011): V8 DTS and Lucerne cars can have the starter or alternator cable rubbing the power steering return line. Dealers fasten or reroute the lines. 13,780 vehicles.
• 14V355 (2006-2011): DTS keys are fitted with two rings plus a slot insert or head cover. 3,141,731 vehicles across GM.

Fix it or sell it?

Line up the estimate against a running DTS of the same year. If the gap is small, the money spent on the repair may never come back.

1. Run the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup. On a 2010-2011, ask a Cadillac dealer whether 10V553 was done.
2. Lights or electronics acting up? That's the DTS's top complaint. Electrical problems explains what to check first.
3. Northstar overheating or knocking? See blown engine before paying for a rebuild.
4. Curious what drives the offer? Read what a junk car is worth.

Selling a DTS whole

1. Note the VIN, the odometer reading and what's broken.
2. Get an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Tell us the parking situation and if the car can be pushed. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
4. Keep it whole, wheels and converters on. Tell us if anything was removed.
5. Have your DTS title and ID ready for the driver. After you sell covers plates and insurance.

No title? See selling with no title. The DTS came after the DeVille and before the XTS. See every Cadillac we cover.